Alcupoco Gold and Panama Red were more rare, and the subtile differences were wonderful but I have a question about that "commercial" Colombian Gold that was in the NE US in the mid 70's.

This was the first weed that we really got fresh as it were, sometimes still a bit moist in probably 25 pound bails. It was generally bright yellow, and I mean bright on the outside of the bail and sometimes as you dug deeper it turned almost orangish... It was great pot, half of your bag by weight was seed but you took it. IIRC QP's were sold for about 125 and 112 to buds.

I got a lot of that weed and "helped" folks for a 75 mile radius smoke it too but...

I never really ever got a real story as to how it came through with all that beautiful fresh bright, consistent yellow color. Rumors back then were "the field workers went out and cut a strip around the bark of the plants in the field and all the chlorophyll ran to the ground. Well I had several problems with that theory but mainly "then why didn't they just kill the mails when they were there and get rid of all that seed?" And really, I didn't believe that they hired enough guys to go through all those fields just to what? Make the plant Yellow with no other benefit??? Just didn't buy it then, don't now.

I am more leaning toward they let it go real long and because of climate, the chlorophill just dropped before they had to harvest, or they took the time and used a chimney type cure with lot's of tending to make that sweet tasting, looking, and smelling weed...

Anyway, in all my years I have never run into anybody that could honestly say "I was there and this is how they did it".

On a side note, after reading so many posts here I realize I may be one of the few very lucky who have tasted Colombian Gold (the real piney stuff), another great but less lamented weed "dirt brown Colombian" that was around at the same time and just as good in my opinion, three bags of Lambs Breath one summer, twice I copped a half ounce of Alcopuco Gold, and my all time favorite was a bag of Panama Red in the summer of 75....

Thanks all for reading, if you can tell me more about the Gold, let me know..

In the 60s and 70s in the tropics the main crops were planted at the beginning of the wet season and harvested at the beginning of the dry season. Because weather patterns were more reliable 30-50 years ago, ganja farmers could dry their crop in the field without much fear of it being ruined by the rain, thus negating the need for large shelters to effect modern drying techniques. Sam the Skunkman who is considered the most respected source of general cannabis information on Icmag, if not the most reliable has stated that Colombian highland farmers would ringbark or gridle the base of plants ready for harvest thus enhancing the already golden color of much of the Colombian mountain weed.

I knew i had it saved but couldnt find it b4 as i posted from my phone

Quote:

I traveled and lived in Mexico, and visited Guerrero many times, the farmers do not cut a rim to deprive water, although I have seen a couple of plants like this, the normal way is with genetics and sun drying for a few days before sticking in the shade to finish drying.

Try it, they come out looking like imported "gold".

-SamS

IME both nevilles haze an hillbilly haze both hada golden tone .Several of the NYC hazes ive smokled over the years have had a golden look .IMO genetics is the biggest factor

This has me pondering on why all of the older cats dont have more pics of the buds golden ETC

1luvbigherb

__________________
in NYC around my way we say if it anint church it anint fire
more incense and less nonsense

I knew i had it saved but couldnt find it b4 as i posted from my phone

IME both nevilles haze an hillbilly haze both hada golden tone .Several of the NYC hazes ive smokled over the years have had a golden look .IMO genetics is the biggest factor

This has me pondering on why all of the older cats dont have more pics of the buds golden ETC

1luvbigherb

Thanks everyone for your responses. Yes, the wet/dry weather makes sense. If you saw the weed, you would know that this makes sense... As to Pictures, remember every shot we took back then went in an envelope with our parents shots (we didn't have our own cameras) and then off to some place to get developed where we all knew pictures of Marijuana wouldn't go over too well

As to stories about the great Sativas and such back then, you also gotta' remember, we didn't even know sativa from indica, from dog poop back then and only hoped the bag we bought was real weed and not parsley or oregano...

We had two kinds of pot and they were "Mex" which was anything previously bricked, usually at least three quarters of a bag of chaffe with a few small buds on top. Those cost us from 5-10 dollars an ounce... Then there was "Tops" or "Colombian Tops" which was supposed to be better and usually was better packaged and the bag might have been 3/4 buds with a line of seed and chaffe on the bottom, might have been 15 an ounce. Both were brown and dry. Every once in a while someone like my bud would get off a plane from somewhere like Jamiaca or such with a few plants stuffed in a backpack or a couple Thai sticks, but that was rare.. This all was happening when Pot, was Pot.. Years before Sens, Hash, and all the rest started flowing in say, 71..72... Before every bag had to have a commercial name LOL!!! Even now sometimes a smoking partner asks us "what are we smoking today" and I still answer... "Pot"...

Hi, I too was around during the 70s and most of what I got in TX at the time was bricked Mex and it was shit, full of seeds and stems but very little buzz ($10 a "Lid"). It was really bad, forcing you to burn many fat joints just to get a passenger buzz from it. Sometimes we would get good Mex for $15 or $20 a lid but not often. Then came Colombian and it was 100% better, it was bricked but very strong and had a better look, smell and taste the the Mex. Now I live in Colombia and grow my own Gold as well as imports. I deon't know about what growers here might do to the plants to turn the bud gold but I do know that when I cure my domestic (Colombian) most turns a beautiful shade of gold without doing anything to the growing plant.All the bud that we use to get imported from Colombia is still being grown here and can be found. Yes there is alot of mixed "hybreds (and they are good) but the real deal is still here just not exported.
Peace from Colombia

IME both nevilles haze anhillbilly hazeboth hada golden tone .Several of the NYC hazes ive smokled over the years have had a golden look .IMO genetics is the biggest factor

This has me pondering on why all of the older cats dont have more pics of the buds golden ETC

1luvbigherb

I have a few of my HillBilly HAZE strain plants Vegging indoors right now. They are getting a full 60 Veg and will be ran indoors. These ladies should be monsters. I will be detailing it in the Landrace section (trying to isolate the Mexican gene within these for a project).

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Strains working with:
"PURE" Thai (this project is on hold. Flowering time is way too long. Flowering time is 20 weeks.)
Grape Skunk (I am going to work a lot with this.)
Trainwreck
Hindu Kush
'91 ChemDog (Nevada)

Thanks so much Red Rider for your input here.. I think it really clears things up for me here

No off to find some more of those brick weed seeds from Colombia

Mr. Grimbo

Your very welcome Mr Grimbo, you know the fine Colombians of yester year. I am searching here (in Colombia) for the old strains and its not too easy for me because the only smokers I know are young and really like the Colombian grown "creepy". However I do have my old contact here who I should be meeting up with early next year. He is in Santa Marta now (his family is from near there) and he is going to have some new samples for me from the region. I wish you the best!!!!

Your very welcome Mr Grimbo, you know the fine Colombians of yester year. I am searching here (in Colombia) for the old strains and its not too easy for me because the only smokers I know are young and really like the Colombian grown "creepy". However I do have my old contact here who I should be meeting up with early next year. He is in Santa Marta now (his family is from near there) and he is going to have some new samples for me from the region. I wish you the best!!!!

Peace from Colombia

Oh man, got my glasses on and taking a better look at the pics from you and Raco, and I have so many observations I need a few to collect my thoughts. I am very excited and I think I am putting things together that have been avoiding me for decades.. Be back soon, gotta' roll one and look at the pics again. This to me is sacred, I don't want to get it wrong...